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| Rameez Raja - Classy Strokeplay |
"They are all good friends and are enjoying their cricket as well," said the former Pakistan Twenty20 international as he looked forward to going down to Lord's to see today's play with teammate Shahbaz Ali. "They are very professional guys and very hard workers. Misbah is 42 and he has scored a century at Lord's. It is a big achievement."
Runs are the lifeblood for any batsman and none more so than Rameez, who has made a big impact with his classy strokeplay since making the near 5,000-mile journey from Karachi to arrive at the Recreation Ground in May. With two centuries plus scores of 87 and 74 not out in the Home Counties Premier League, the 28-year-old has made 431 runs this season at an impressive average of 86.2.
"It has been really good so far," he says. "As a team we have played well in the first half of the season. We have not lost a game and my form has been good. "I am happy that the results are going our way and we want to finish in the top two at least, so we can play Division 1 cricket next year."
Rameez's career has seen him feature in T20 squads alongside some of the sport's biggest names - including Kevin Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Gayle. And while he learnt much from them, he says playing in Will Eason's team has also broadened his experience.
"I am still learning from Will and Pat Foster and Robbie (Eason)," he says. "They are all good cricketers, so it is a privilege to play with them. "To play in these conditions is an important thing and they are all experienced cricketers, especially Robbie the way he fights for the team and wants to win for the team. The most important thing is to win the game and be a hard worker. "These are the things I am getting from my teammates. "I like the organisation and atmosphere of the club too."
Rameez (no relation to 1980s and 90s Pakistan Test cricketer Ramiz Raja) has also been impressed by the club's younger players, especially left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher and batsman Harrison Ward. "These two are really promising cricketers who can play a good level of cricket," he adds. "They are already quite established cricketers and are doing well in the Premier League."
Rameez didn't take up cricket until he was 13, but his progress was so swift that he played for Pakistan in the Under 15 and Under 17 Asia Cups, before helping his country win the 2006 Under 19 World Cup with a 38-run victory over India in the final in Colombo. Two months later, he made his first-class debut for Karachi against National Bank of Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. And in 2011 he was called up by Pakistan and played two Twenty20 internationals against Zimbabwe under Misbah's captaincy.
"It is an honour to play for your country," he says. "I made my debut in Harare and most of the guys in this current team I have played with. "I am hopeful of scoring runs in first-class cricket and getting back in the team."
He played for Lancaster in the Northern Premier League last year, scoring 709 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 37.32. But Rameez, who is staying with AJ Smith at Buckland, says he wanted to be in the south where he has family and friends near London, and is enjoying his time playing here where he feels the pitches and facilities are better.
As well as playing for Horspath, he has also scored a century and two fifties for Hamilton Lions in the Elliott Davis London League on Sundays. "I had heard a lot of good things about Oxford - that it was a beautiful place and wanted to see it ," he says. "I think I have made the right decision."
He admits, though, life as a professional cricketer can be tough as he spends lengthy spells away from his wife, Ayesha, and sons, Rayan, 3, and Raahim, 1. "In the last 12 months I think I have spent three months with my family, but that is how it is," he adds. "I miss my family and I want to bring them next season if things go well."
In the meantime, Rameez expects they'll be watching him back in Karachi on Horspath's YouTube service tomorrow when he'll be hoping to provide more of his own highlights.
Posted by: Russ